Authoring Tools Working Group
Authoring Tool Accessibility Guidelines Working Group (AUWG)
Charter
This charter is written in accordance with section 6.2.6 of
the W3C Process Document.
- Mission
- Scope
- Duration
- Deliverables
- Milestones
- Dependencies
- Confidentiality
- Meetings
- Communication
- Voting
- Patent Policy
- Participation
Information about how to participate in the
AUWG is available.
The Authoring Tool Accessibility Guidelines Working Group (AUWG) was originally chartered in
December, 1997 as a Working Group of the WAI Technical Activity. It was rechartered in February 1999, January 2000, and June 2001, and
is being rechartered again in September 2004. The group has produced a number
of working drafts leading to the Authoring Tool Accessibility
Guidelines 1.0, a W3C Recommendation; three versions of Techniques for Authoring Tool Accessibility, a
W3C Note; and Authoring Tool
Accessibility Guidelines 2.0, a W3C Working Draft. It is being
rechartered to perform the following tasks:
- Support and track implementation of the Authoring
Tool Accessibility Guidelines 1.0, including specifying evaluation
techniques.
- Develop a second version of the Authoring Tool
Accessibility Guidelines (ATAG
2.0).
- Revise the W3C Note Techniques for
Authoring Tool Accessibility for compatibility with ATAG 2.0.
- Develop test suites for ATAG 1.0 and ATAG 2.0.
2.1 Scope of work
The scope of the AUWG's work under this charter is to support
implementation of the W3C Recommendation Authoring Tool Accessibility
Guidelines 1.0 (ATAG 1.0), and to develop a second version of ATAG.
This work is expected to include :
- Developing a version of ATAG which is compatible with other documents,
such as the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG), and reflective
of current practice.
- Developing techniques for implementing ATAG 2.0 in a range of different
types of authoring tools;
- Developing methods for evaluating conformance of authoring tools;
- Tracking related work in other working groups, commenting on and
integrating it as appropriate;
- Facilitating the evaluation of authoring tools for conformance to the
guidelines;
- Working with authoring tool developers in implementation methods and
techniques.
This Working Group is scheduled to last for 24 months, from 1 January 2005
through 31 December 2006. In January 2008, the duration of this charter was extended to 30 June 2008.
- Minutes of AUWG meetings.
- Authoring Tool Accessibility Guidelines 2.0, as a W3C
Recommendation.
- Resolving ATAG References to WCAG, as a W3C Recommendation. (This
document points to normative references from ATAG 2.0 to the existing
WCAG 1.0, as well as WCAG 2.0, which may not be released before ATAG
2.0.)
- Techniques for ATAG 2.0, as a W3C Note.
- Original publication and semi-annual revisions of the W3C Note
Techniques for Authoring Tool Accessibility 2.0, as a W3C Note.
- Techniques should consist of implementation detail for
implementation of checkpoints in the guidelines.
- Techniques should include examples and information for various
types of authoring tools.
- The techniques should include techniques for evaluating the
conformance of authoring tools, either as a separate document or part
of the same document.
- The techniques should include material developed to date by the
Evaluation and Repair Working Group in the W3C Working Draft Techniques for Accessibility
Evaluation and Repair Tools (AERT). This document contains
algorithms that may be used by software programs to evaluate
conformance of Web content to the Web Content Accessibility
Guidelines 1.0 (WCAG 1.0) as well as to repair documents to conform
to WCAG 1.0.
- Evaluations of how authoring tools conform to ATAG 1.0 and/or ATAG
2.0.
- 1st quarter 2005
- Produce Candidate Recommendation of ATAG 2.0 and revised Techniques
for ATAG 2.0 Note.
- Produce Proposed Recommendation of ATAG 2.0 and revised Techniques
for ATAG 2.0 Note.
- 2nd quarter 2005
- Produce W3C Recommendation of ATAG 2.0 and revised Techniques for
ATAG 2.0 Note.
- 3rd quarter
- Produce Frequently Asked Questions for ATAG 2.0 and revised
Techniques for ATAG 2.0 Notes.
- 4th quarter 2005
- Produce revised FAQ Note, revised Techniques for ATAG 2.0 Note,
implementation report, requirements for revision of the Guidelines.
6.1 Communication about dependencies within WAI
- The Protocols and Formats WG (PFWG public page also available) is the primary conduit
for describing and resolving dependencies between WAI groups and other
W3C Working Groups. Consequently, requirements for dependencies between
the AUWG and other W3C WG's are primarily channeled through
the PFWG, and only groups with which AUWG requires direct
discussions on dependencies are listed here.
6.2 Groups with which AUWG has dependencies
- (WAI) Protocols and Formats WG (PFWG public page): The AUWG provides input on
accessibility requirements with regard to W3C technologies for which PFWG
manages dependencies;
- (WAI) Web Content Accessibility Guidelines WG: The
Authoring Tool Accessibility Guidelines rely on the Web Content
Accessibility Guidelines;
- (WAI) User Agent Accessibility Guidelines WG-- The
two groups coordinate on common components of user interface
accessibility;
- (WAI) Education and Outreach WG -- EOWG will
assist in promoting awareness & implementation of ATAG 1.0 and ATAG
2.0;
- (WAI) Evaluation and Repair Working
Group develop and track development of tools and documents which are
important to the AUWG.
- MathML WG (MathML public page)-- The AUWG will
coordinate with the MathML Working Group to ensure that the Guidelines
and techniques are appropriate for the needs of MathML Authoring Tool
developers;
- SYMM WG (SYMM
public page), -- The AUWG will coordinate with the SYMM Working Group
to ensure that the Guidelines and techniques are appropriate for the
needs of SMIL Authoring Tool developers;
- SVG WG (SVG public
page) -- The AUWG will coordinate with the SVG Working Group to ensure
that the Guidelines and techniques are appropriate for the needs of SVG
Authoring Tool developers;
- Device Independence Activity--
The AUWG and the Mobile Access IG will coordinate to ensure consistent
approaches on guidelines development and on CC/PP (Composite
Capability/Preference Profiles).
Additionally, the Working Group will coordinate with the IMS Global Learning Consortium to track
its work on accessible authoring practices in "e-learning" applications.
The AUWG is a public Working Group as defined by Section
4.1 of the W3C Process Document. The Working Group maintains a public
mailing list at w3c-wai-au@w3.org.
The AUWG will hold regular face-to-face meetings, which are likely to be
quarterly. Where practicable these will be held in conjunction with other WAI
face-to-face meetings or with an event where WAI IG members gather. Working
Group meetings are announced to W3C Member organizations through the Member
Events Calendar and the Member Newswire; to Working Group participants
through the w3c-wai-au@w3.org mailing list; to WAI IG participants via the
WAI IG mailing list; and to the general public via the WAI home page.
The AUWG will hold regular remote meetings every two weeks via
teleconference.
9.1 Communication within the group
The primary fora for Working Group discussion are the w3c-wai-au@w3.org
mailing list (archives are publicly
available), and regular teleconferences. As an alternative to
teleconferences the group may trial the use of an Internet-based chat system,
which will provide logging of the session. If the group unanimously feels
that this is an improvement it may be adopted in place of some scheduled
telephone conferences. The primary record of the group's activity is the AUWG home page.
- w3c-wai-au@w3.org
mailing list archives
- Publication of minutes or log files
for all meetings
- Working Group home page
- Face-to-face and teleconference
meetings
9.2 Communication with W3C
- The AUWG coordinates with other WAI Working Groups through the WAI
Coordination Group and the wai-xtech@w3.org list;
- The AUWG coordinates with W3C through the WAI Domain Leader;
- The WAI Domain Leader communicates about W3C and WAI activities through
postings to WAI IG;
- WAI groups report to the WAI IG at quarterly face-to-face meetings.
9.3 Communication with tool developers
The AUWG encourages developers to become part of the group or to maintain
close contact with its work. In addition, the group will specifically seek
contacts from developers who can provide additional feedback for conformance
evaluations, and act as contact points for their development teams.
9.4 Communication with the public
The AUWG communicates with the public through the AUWG home page and
general W3C communication mechanisms.
The primary means of decision-making in the AUWG is consensus.
This charter is written in accordance with Section
3.4, Votes of the 5
February 2004 W3C Process Document and includes no voting procedures
beyond what the Process Document requires.
11. Patent Policy
This Working Group operates under the 5 February 2004
W3C Patent Policy. To promote the widest adoption of Web standards, W3C
seeks to issue Recommendations that can be implemented, according to this
policy, on a Royalty-Free basis.
12.1 Who should participate
As the Web Accessibility Initiative is a multi-stakeholder/partnership
project, it is critical that different stakeholders in Web accessibility are
represented on the AUWG. These include:
- representatives of Web-related industry, especially Web
content-generating application developers;
- representatives of disability organizations, including cognitive
disabilities, hearing disabilities, physical disabilities, and visual
disabilities;
- representatives of research organizations specializing in accessible
design for diverse disabilities and functional requirements;
- representatives of policymakers;
- experts in the use and usability of a variety of different types of
authoring tools.
Participants are expected to observe the good
standing requirements of the W3C Process for Working Groups.
For this Working Group, the following commitment is expected:
- Minimum 4 hours per week, including meeting time and reading/responding
to mailing list.
- Remain current on the group mailing list and respond in timely manner
to postings on mailing list;
- Participate regularly in telephone and face-to-face meetings or send
timely regrets;
- Contribute to chartered deliverables;
- Remain aware of related work in the Web Content Accessibility
Guidelines, User Agent Accessibility Guidelines, XML Accessibility
Guidelines, and other groups where dependencies exist or arise.
- Evaluate the conformance of one or more authoring tools in a year.
- Act as scribe for working group meetings on a rotating basis.
Information about how to participate in the
AUWG is available on the Web.
Last updated $Date: 2008/02/07 19:21:04 $ by Matt May (mcm@w3.org)